1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to electronic communication devices with memory and, more particularly, to an improved system and method for limiting the memory required to store profiles in electronic communication devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
U.S. Pat. No. 5,825,865 (Oberlander et al.) discloses a method that supports an information profile for at least one user in a communication system. This information profile includes at least some user preferences regarding a plurality of different user destinations. The communication system will automatically select a destination from amongst a plurality of candidate destinations for a message intended for the user as a function, at least in part, of the information profile. The method itself provides for accessing this communication system, and providing a temporary over-ride instruction to the communication system to temporarily over-ride at least one element in the information profile.
This invention is not particularly efficient in the use of profile stores when different users lack simultaneously access to a scanner/printer. Both temporary and original profiles need to be kept in the store. Thus, the store can become rapidly filled to capacity.
Given a profile container or store, and one or more clients who are the users of this store, it is typical for clients to post destinations to the store for a later use. It is also typical that the profile store is space limited, and can only contain a few hundred profiles. Thus, the store is not especially robust, becoming exhausted once the users post the maximum number of profiles. Alternately, a robust store can be created if the user periodically deletes profiles, in order to keep the list from overloading. Another impractical alternative is the creation of larger memories to make a larger store.
A destination store typically does not have access to an external server, and cannot look up destinations on a remote store, for example, using a lightweight directory assistance protocol (LDAP). In prior art systems, all profiles in such stores are permanent profiles. Once a profile is posted to the device, it will persist until a user, or the system administrator removes the profile. This results in profile store exhaustion as soon as the profile store is full. From that point on, users must delete an old profile before they can enter a new one. Conventionally, the user must be able to perform a successful query operation in the profile store prior to completing their task. For example, the user must be able to retrieve a destination in the scanner, prior to scanning to that destination.
It would be advantageous if there was capacity in a store for more profiles, without the creation of larger store memories or without the need for manually cleaning the system.
It would be advantageous if another type of profile existed which used the store container space more economically.
It would be advantageous if unused profiles could be automatically deleted to make room in the store for new profiles. It would be advantageous if these unused profiles could be deleted without user intervention.
The invention relates to an improved process for creating and storing profiles in a device with a limited and small store. If a store becomes exhausted, users can no longer add destinations, or other profile parameters, and the device becomes unusable. The present invention advances the state of the art in that it provides a way to automatically control infrequently used profiles in the store. More specifically, the invention introduces profile types. In addition to permanent, or frequently used profiles, the user has the capability to create temporary profiles. The temporary profiles are deleted automatically without user intervention. Thus, the number of profiles in the store is controlled, without the need of a user, or super user to periodically clean the system.
Accordingly, a method is provided for maintaining profiles in a device store, for such devices as multifunction printers (MFPs), wireless communications devices, and answering machines. The method comprises: setting a profile type; selecting profile parameters such as destinations and processes; adding the profile parameters to a device store; and, in response to creating the profile, limiting the lifetime of the profile in the device store.
For example, for a wireless telephone the profile can be a telephone number or email address. For a network-connected scanner the profile can be an IP address destination and a process such as scanning, printing, or faxing.
Setting a profile type includes selecting a profile from the group including time aging profiles, single-use profiles, renewable profiles, and permanent profiles. When a time aging profile is chosen, a time-to-live (TTL) variable, referenced to the creation of the profile, is also selected. Then, the profile is purged from the store when the TTL variable expires. When a single-use profile is chosen, the profile is purged from the store after the profile is used a first time. When a renewable profile is chosen, a TTL variable is selected that is reset in response to using the profile. The profile is purged from the store if the TTL variable expires. When a permanent profile is chosen, the profile is purged from the store in response to explicit delete operations.
Additional details of the above-described method, and a memory limited, profile-using device are described below.